Psalm 33:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

NIV: He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.

NASB: He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He puts the depths in storehouses.

CSB: He gathers the water of the sea into a heap; he puts the depths into storehouses.

NLT: He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.

KJV: He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

NKJV: He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.

Genesis 1:6–7 reports: "And God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so." Later, "God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:9–10). Once again, God's creative activity is linked to His speaking a word.

In creating the seas and oceans, God fixed boundaries for them (Job 38:8–11); otherwise, they would have covered the whole earth. He also created the seabed and underground caverns to contain the waters. When God sent the Noahic flood, "all the fountains of the great deep burst forth" (Genesis 7:11). This phenomenal event occurred because God, who created the seas and oceans, was fully in charge of them, proving He is all-powerful and deserving of praise.

Psalm 33:4–19 records David's reasons to praise the Lord. They include praise for God's Word, His creative power, His sovereignty over the nations, His all-seeing vision, His faithful works, and His deliverance of His people.

David summons the worshipers of Israel to be joyful as they praise God. The psalm celebrates God's creative power, sovereignty, and faithfulness. Rather than relying on earthly strength, the Lord's people can trust in His omnipotent power. This results in a collective praise for God and His unfailing love for those who trust and hope in Him.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, attributes this psalm to David. It is a psalm that encourages worshipers to praise the Lord. It may have been written after Israel experienced a victory over an enemy. Because the verbs in this psalm are plural, it features the worship leader's call to worship and the worshipers' response.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.